CLUBBING TOGETHER
Major success for Máire and Malahide as volunteers make Malone a hit. By
VOLUNTEER support is crucial to the success of amateur golf as more than 1,000 spectators and over 100 volunteers from the host club made the AIG Ladies Cups and Shields Finals a huge success at Malone.
“Their support has been second to none, reinforcing the fact that Irish amateur golf could not be run without volunteer support,” said Vonnie Noonan, the President of the ILGU.
Club golf provides pleasure for thousands but it is also a crucial outlet for youngsters and even the not so young with 79-year old Malahide stalwart Máire Falvey one of the stand-out winners from an exciting week.
A golfer for almost 50 years, she remained unbeaten to help Malahide club celebrate its 125th anniversary with victory in the AIG Challenge Cup.
And she admitted that the game is huge help to her, not just physically, but socially.
“My grandparents, my parents and my late husband were all golfers,” explained Máire (nee Lehane), who took up the game at Howth and won the Lady Captain’s Prize there when seven months pregnant.
“That’s 40-odd years ago and I love it. I really do. My husband is dead nearly 20 years and so having golf and my golfing friends is absolutely fantastic.
“I am off 28 now but I used to play off 16 for about 20 years but I play so much — four times a week — that the handicap has cruised up again.
“But I am not complaining. At my age, I am lucky to be playing at all. And it keeps me fit.”
It wasn’t Máire’s first golfing success by any means.
Winner of the her third All Ireland Mother and Daughter Foursomes title at Donabate in July, she made it 2-0 for Malahide with a 5 and 4 win over Fanchea Donnelly before Louise Young clinched the winning point.
Máire also won the All Ireland Minor Cup with her daughter Ciara (Smyth) at Limerick in 2006 as well as the Mother and Daughter title together two years ago.
“I won that with my daughter Deirdre again this year having won it with my own mother Marie Lehane a long time ago,” she said.
Far from claiming the glory for Malahide, Máire added that It was “a real team effort.”
“We have some great young players like Niamh Clarke only playing the game a couple of years,” she said.